2016 Topps Heritage Minor Leagues - All the Dodgers Cards

The newest Topps product to come down the pike is the 2016 Heritage Minor League Baseball card set.  It features most of the up-'n-coming ballplayers within the Dodgers farm system, and also happens to include a couple of prospects who have since been traded.  As you will recall, both Grant Holmes and Jharel Cotton were sent to the Oakland A's as a part of the Rich Hill and Josh Reddick trade on August 1st.  Go here for a complete checklist on this set.

Please note that I will update the photo for the Grant Holmes sticker card when I come across a better pic.  Also, there is a Mike Trout autographed card available with him in a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes uniform.  It is in the Looming Legacy insert set.  For obvious reason, I have not included this card in the below listings (#LLA-MT Mike Trout) even though that team is now a Dodgers affiliate.

Base Cards

#41 Andrew Sopko                             #47 Cody Bellinger

Blog Kiosk: 9/28/2016 - Dodgers Links - Culberson, Puig, Urias, the Nationals and Vin Scully

Hey... We scored a run.

Last night the Dodgers played their first game after clinching their fourth consecutive division championship and lost... Not that I'm fretting, or anything. 

The Dodgers are in the midst of preparing for the division series against the Nationals, so the outcome of the last five games of the regular season are less important than setting up the club for success in October.  Per Doug Padilla at ESPN:

Manager Dave Roberts did start nearly all of his regulars in the first game after clinching the National League West on Sunday, but starter Kenta Maeda only went four innings, as did left fielder Andrew Toles and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
...
"As you saw tonight, I normally wouldn't have taken Toles out as early as I did, but I want to get Andre [Ethier] some at-bats, and it was nice to see him get that last at-bat and get a walk and have a competitive three at-bats," Roberts said. "Toles will start tomorrow, and we'll see how the game plays out. And Adrian had a sinus infection, so that's why he came out of the game."

It's not as if the Dodgers do not care about playing host to the Nationals for the opening two games of the NLDS, plus a potential deciding Game 5. But post-clinch baseball is usually different from the version that preceded it.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers Baseball:  In 1988 Orel Hershiser broke Don Drysdale Major League record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched at 59.  He threw ten scoreless innings against the Padres in San Diego.  In 1997 Mike Piazza set the Los Angeles Dodgers record for home runs at 40. 
• Happy Birthday, Todd Worrell and Jerry Sands!

A Vin Scully Memorabilia Checklist - Records, Magazine Covers and Stadium Giveaways

I decided to spend a little bit of time trying to catalog all the different Vin Scully memorabilia items that exist out there.

As you may know, a few years back I attempted to do this with his various Baseball cards, postcards and Union 76 giveaways (see that original post here), but always felt is was incomplete.  After all, there is a bunch of other stuff I neglected to include; such as his records, magazines and Dodger Stadium giveaways.  Hopefully, the below listing takes care of that.  Unfortunately, I doubt this is entirely complete.  For instance, there's got to be more magazine covers featuring the Hall of Fame broadcaster than what I have shown here.  If you happen to know of other items please let me know. 

Furthermore, I am planning an additional post focused solely on the 1966 Union 76 twelve-record 33 1/3 RPM set featuring Vin Scully interviews with 24 different players and team executives.  I made mention of it in my post a few years back. but didn't provide a lot of details back then.

So, without further adieu, here is a listing of Vin Scully related records, magazine covers and stadium giveaways.  I will, of course, updated this post when new items come to my attention.

1959

Dodgers '59 Record
The Season's Most Thrilling Moments as Reported on KMPC by Vin Scully

1963

Jackie Barnett Presents the Sound of the Dodgers Record

Blog Kiosk: 9/27/2016 - Dodgers Links - AGon Won his Bet and More Vin Scully

I just love this photo of our rookie shortstop and MVP candidate Corey Seager taking batting practice within the bowels of Dodger Stadium. 

"It's Time For October Baseball," indeed.

The photo was shared yesterday afternoon by NikeLA on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1951 future baketball Hall of Famer Bill Sharman was a prospect for the Dodgers.  On this day he was thrown out of the game, along with 14 other teammates, for "bench-jockeying" after a close play at home.  He would never get a chance to play a Major League game, and thus became the only player to be ejected from a game without ever appearing in one.  In 1961 Sandy Koufax struck out seven Phillies batters to pass Christy Mathewson's National League record for strike outs at 269.  Mathewson struck out 267 batters in 1903.  In 1993 Mike Piazza broke the Los Angeles Dodgers record for home runs at 34.  In 2000 the Team USA Baseball team, skippered by Tommy Lasorda, beat the overwhelming favorites Cubans ballclub to win the gold medal in the Olympics.
• Happy Birthday, Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland!

Two More 2016 Dodgers Topps Now Cards Available - #505 & #506

In addition to the postseason 15-card Dodger team set currently available (originally written about here), Topps Now has just release two more cards to add to their running set.  Both cards capture the excitement and joy of yesterdays big day.  Unfortunately, Vin Scully isn't featured on either. 

The card on the top left celebrates both Corey Seager's game-tying home run in the 9th inning and Charlie Culberson's walk-off homer in the 10th inning. It is card number #505.  Go here to check it out and order.  Hilariously, it describes the events wrongly on the reverse (as seen on below left).  It says:

2016 SportsNet LA Vin Scully Poster Set

I thought I would finally take some time to officially catalog a Vin Scully collectible that has been available all season at Dodger Stadium this year.  As you may know, SportsNet LA has been passing out special commemorate posters to fans for free that features Vin Scully, and if you haven't seen them before then you can now get a look at them all below.  They measure 18"x24". Click on any pic to embiggen.

They all borrow designs from vintage Topps Baseball cards.  The posters have been selling briskly on eBay for a wide range of values -- from as low as $10 to as high as $60 a piece.  Frankly, these values seems way too high.  I suspect that the emotion of his upcoming retirement has pushed values to those levels.  Given enough time I think prices should fall to more reasonable prices.  On the other hand, I could be entirely wrong.  There is an significant lack of memorabilia featuring Vin Scully for fans to chase after, so we could be seeing a new normal for Scully collectibles.

BTW, three years ago I put together a listing of all the various Vin Scully cards and other cardboard-styled collectibles that I was aware of.  You can check that out here.  Also, I am planning on putting up a new post featuring the various memorabilia items that exist; including the various stadium giveaways and magazine covers.

Poster #1                                Poster #2